StarCrossed Strangers
by dragonflybeach
Summary: Sequel to Common Ground. Upon learning of the consequences of Draco's night with Luna, Narcissa forces them to marry as part of a plan to overhaul Draco's public image.
1. Chapter 1

"Savage," Lucius Malfoy drawled at the Auror standing in his parlor, arms folded. "We weren't expecting an inspection. I'll have one of the house elves bring down Draco."

"No, it's not an inspection." The man held his hand up. "It's a Family Notification."

"What are you talking about?" Lucius frowned. "All of my family that survived the war is here, under house arrest."

An odd look crossed the Auror's face. "Maybe not. You see, we have quite a number of people who were injured at the final battle who have been treated at St Mungos over the past several days. One of them is Luna Lovegood."

Lucius snorted inelegantly. "Her father and I may be fourth cousins twice removed, but I hardly think the matter warrants sending an Auror here to notify me. Especially since his grandfather was disowned."

Savage continued, ignoring him. "She sustained relatively minor injuries in the battle, but they've kept her in the hospital for an extra few days for observation. She was found to be ... in the family way. About two months along. She has named your son as the father of her ..."

"If you're here to accuse my son of assaulting the girl ... " Lucius stepped forward threateningly.

"No, no." Savage shook his head. "Miss Lovegood states that their, um ... relations, were consensual. The problem is that her father has been admitted to the psychiatric ward at St Mungos, and the girl has no other relatives. She is just turned seventeen years old, so she is of legal age, but has no place to go, very limited funds, and in her condition ... we had hoped ... "

"That we might take her in and provide for her and the child." Narcissa finished, stepping up beside her husband.

The Auror shrugged and nodded.

"Indeed we shall." Narcissa offered. "We will not have our grandchild homeless and penniless."

Savage seemed to visibly relax. "She's being released from St Mungo's this afternoon. I will bring her around. It would probably be, say around four?"

"That would be fine." Narcissa nodded. "It should give us enough time to have a room arranged for her."

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy." Savage smiled, turning toward the floo. "I'm sure that Miss Lovegood will appreciate this."

Lucius waited until the green flames subsided, then kicked the nearest chair violently.

"He has been raised to control his base urges." He fumed. "And what does _your_ son do? Allegedly impregnated a half mad blood traitor. He had better hope this is not true."

Narcissa smiled deviously. "If it is true, his base urges may have just saved him from Azkaban."

Lucius looked at her in disbelief. "And how would you arrive at that conclusion?"

"People love a good love story." She smirked. "Tristan and Isolde. Layla and Manjun. Paris and Helen, if you will. Star-crossed lovers, on opposite sides of the war. Now expecting a baby. There will be so much public sympathy the Ministry wouldn't dare send him to prison."

Lucius snorted inelegantly. "We don't know for certain he is the father of the child. We had Death Eaters in and out of this house daily for months. Any one of them … "

"No, if she's two months along, it's Draco's child." Narcissa shook her head confidently. "I charmed the door to the cellar. I didn't want a steady stream of perverse reprobates in and out of there. The only males who would not have suddenly remembered they had something else to do would have been the Dark Lord, Draco, and Wormtail, the last two only because they took food to the prisoners."

"That still leaves Pettigrew." Lucius argued.

Narcissa gave him a withering look. "The girl had nothing to worry about from Pettigrew."

"How do you know?" Lucius persisted.

"Didn't you ever know why he betrayed the Potters?" she rolled her eyes. "Jealousy over Lily. He was in love with James. He would see James dead rather than with someone else."

"Oh." Lucius' eyes widened.

"Dimpy." She called one of the house elves. "Please ask Draco to come down."

Their son made his way to the parlor, where he obediently seated himself facing his parents, even if his eyes were filled with hostility and defiance. He looked to his father as if expecting a lecture.

He visibly started, just barely, when his mother spoke instead. "We've just had a visitor from the Auror office. As a result of the conversation we had with him, we will be having a houseguest arriving later."

"We're to babysit homeless war heroes now?" Draco huffed.

"Miss Lovegood will be here this afternoon." Narcissa watched her son like a hawk. "She is expecting, and states that you are the father of her child." she continued. "Is that true, Draco?"

He didn't meet his parents' eyes. "It could be." He murmured softly.

"You're going to marry this girl." His mother continued. "You're going to convince the wizarding world that you're head over heels in love with her and thrilled beyond words that she is presenting you with an heir."

Draco openly gaped at her before turning to his father. "You can't let this happen. I'm too young to get married."

Lucius looked at him scornfully. "You were old enough to stick your rod between some little bint's legs. You're old enough to accept responsibility for your actions."

"I thought I had an arranged marriage." Draco said with a hint of panic in his voice.

"Robert Greengrass has requested to break the contract based on the fact you are currently pending trial before the Wizengamot." Lucius frowned at his son. "Criminal activity is an acceptable reason for breaking a marriage contract. Of course, so is producing an illegitimate child with another person."

"Draco, you must understand how important this is!" His mother's sharp tone drew his attention back to her. "This is your best chance for avoiding prison!"

"What are you on about?" he raised one eyebrow, clearly not understanding.

"Young love!" she flung her hands wide. "You convince the wizarding world that the two of you are madly in love but were kept apart by the war. That all you want in the world is to live happily ever after with Luna Lovegood and your baby. All of the little old women who read the romance serials in Witch Weekly will champion you! If we work this properly, there will be so much public sympathy that the Wizengamot wouldn't dare send you to Azkaban."

"I'm not in love with the girl and I have no wish to spend the rest of the week with her, much less the rest of my life." Draco grumbled.

"How many times have I told you that the truth is not as important as what others perceive as the truth?" Lucius' appeared dangerously close to losing his patience. "What you really think and feel doesn't matter. You have to convince the outside world that you are in love with her so they will sympathize with you."

"Draco, darling," his mother laid a cold hand on his cheek. "We're talking about keeping you out of Azkaban. Azkaban is full of Death Eaters who would kill you for what they see as our family's failing the Dark Lord. If you are lucky, they will kill you quickly. If not, you can't imagine the horrible things they will do to you first. If by some chance you survive the Death Eaters, then you have to contend with the Dementors. Draco, you can't go to prison."

His eyes widened as he obviously considered some of the possible tortures that could await him. "What do I do?" he asked softly.

"Marry this girl." Narcissa urged. "Make the world believe you are madly in love with her."

"No, I mean about Luna." he shook his head.

"You don't have to convince her you love her." a hint of a smile played around Narcissa's lips. "Not yet, at least. Convince her that you are her friend. That you want to be with her and raise your child together. Make her want to keep you out of prison so she will go along with the story." She smoothed his hair as she used to do when he was a child, only now she had to reach up to do so. "You can do this. Just turn on the Malfoy charm."

* * *

Draco was waiting when the Auror arrived with Luna that afternoon. He stepped forward as they came through the floo. He took Luna's hand and kissed her cheek.

"I'm glad you're all right." he murmured, looking into her eyes. He then turned and shook the Auror's hand. "Thank you sir, for escorting her here safely."

"My pleasure." The Auror handed Luna's trunk to the house elf who stood by, and turned to Luna. "All set, Miss Lovegood?"

Luna curiously looked down to where Draco had taken her hand again before smiling at Savage. "Yes, very well. Thank you again."

The Auror nodded and stepped into the floo as Draco led Luna to sit with him on the loveseat. He snapped his fingers and asked a house elf to bring tea.

"Are you feeling well, Draco?" she wrinkled her brow. "Are there wrackspurts here?" She looked around the room. "I believe my spectrespecs are in my trunk."

He smiled at her. "I am fine. I don't believe there are any wrackspurts here, but if you find any evidence of them, let me know and we'll have them removed."

She tilted her head. "Does that mean you believe in wrackspurts now? Because you didn't when I lived in the cellar earlier this year."

"My beliefs about a lot of things have changed over the past few months." He dismissed the elf who had returned with a tray and poured tea for both of them.

"What else?" she regarded him with open curiosity.

"The night in the cellar, when we ... " he trailed off, flushing slightly, gesturing between the two of them. She nodded and he continued. "You said you would be my best friend. Is that offer still on the table?"

She narrowed her eyes before withdrawing her wand from her sleeve. "Finite!" she cried, pointing it at him.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Making sure that you were really Draco Malfoy and not someone else in disguise or under the influence of some spell or potion." She answered, seeming confused.

"I am really Draco Malfoy, and I promise you that I am not under any undue influences." he smiled.

"I really don't know what's happened to you." she scooted back away from him slightly. "I rather feel like I've fallen down the rabbit hole."

"What are you talking about a rabbit hole?" It was his turn to be confused.

"Have you ever read Alice in Wonderland? You really should, it's a lovely story. Charles Dodgson wrote it, under the name of Lewis Carroll. He was a Ravenclaw, you know. He was some relation to Elphias Doge, Professor Dumbledore's friend. They changed their family name after some sort of scandal." she informed him and then took a sip of her tea.

"Well, I haven't read it yet, so you'll have to tell me what a rabbit hole has to do with anything." Draco said, smiling again.

"See, here we are again." she tilted her head once more. "Curiouser and curiouser. That was a line from the book. I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much, and particularly not directed at me. You see, Alice falls down a rabbit hole, and meets all sorts of fantastic creatures, such as a rabbit in a waistcoat with a pocket watch, a disappearing cat, a ... "

"Crumple horned snorkack?" Draco offered.

"No, but that would certainly have been interesting." she agreed. "A caterpillar who smoked, a talking lizard, and a queen who is actually a playing card who paints white roses red."

"That's not curious, that's mad." he looked at her a bit uncertainly.

"I do believe the author had a horrible infestation of wrackspurts." she shrugged. "Or maybe he was just on drugs."

Draco laughed. "I think I might be more inclined to believe the second one."

"You haven't answered me, Draco." She took another sip of tea and looked at him expectantly.

"I didn't realize there was a question." He looked up, as in thought. "I do believe I was rather distracted by rabbits in waistcoats and smoking caterpillars."

"Why are you acting like this?" she asked softly.

He reached over and took her hand again. "I need a friend, Luna. I don't believe I've ever had a true friend, just hangers on who wanted to attach themselves to the Malfoy name or money. Or Death Eaters, who really weren't anyone's friends. You're about the only person I know who will still speak to me."

"That's very sad, Draco." she looked concerned for him and squeezed his hand.

He looked down at their linked hands. "And then I found out today that we're having a child."

"Would you like to see him?" she reached into her bag without waiting for his answer and withdrew a photograph.

At least, Draco supposed it was some sort of photograph. The image was grainy, light grey around the edges, with a dark irregular round shape in the middle. In the dark shape was another lighter shape, which looked like a sprouting bean with arms and legs.

"That's what it looks like?" he frowned at the paper, trying to remember what he had learned in the Human Development two week course that all Hogwarts first years had been required to take.

Of course, he had been eleven years old, and far more interested in the drawings of female anatomy that what goes on with a developing baby.

"Him?" he asked, his mind catching up with what she had said.

"It's too early to tell for certain, but the healer said from the way I'm carrying, his heart rate, things like that, she believes it's a boy." She smiled.

"A son." Draco said. He glanced at her stomach. "How big is he?"

"About the size of from the knuckle to the end of your thumb. He's still quite tiny yet." She looked at him uncertainly. "I really didn't think you'd be pleased about this."

He sighed. "There's a good possibility I'm going to Azkaban for the things I did during the war. This may be the only chance I have to have a child."

"Oh." Her eyes and mouth were both round. "I suppose that makes a difference."

He sighed and reached for her hand again. "I didn't mean it that way. He's my child, my _son,_ and family is very important to me. Hopefully I won't go to prison, but if I do, I want to be with him for whatever time I can. And I'd like to think I had my son and his mother waiting for me."

He looked up at her from his bent head, giving her the look that made Slytherin girls fight over who got to do his homework.

"I want my child to have his father." Luna answered, barely above a whisper.

"Then marry me, and let's give him a family." Draco offered.

"All right." Luna agreed.

Draco smiled and kissed her cheek again, suppressing the urge to shout.

Step One of the plan complete.

* * *

A/N - Okay, so here's chapter one of the sequel due to popular demand. I'm just warning you now, I'm moving this weekend, and have no idea when I may get the second chapter up.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco knocked on the door and waited for his father to bid him to enter the study.

"Well"? Lucius arched an eyebrow, pouring three fingers' worth of Ogden's Finest into two crystal tumblers and sliding one across the desk.

Draco deposited himself into the chair and picked up the glass, but didn't drink yet. "She agreed to marry me."

"A fine start." Lucius nodded. "But we need her to want to keep you out of Azkaban. She has to fall in love with you."

"Love potion?" Draco frowned.

Lucius shook his head. "They're illegal, if you're caught, and if it ever wears off and she comes to her senses, she will be livid. No, if you know how, you can manipulate anyone to your particular purposes, but witches are especially easy to control. You already have several important factors in your favour."

"Like what?" Draco tipped his head.

"You were her first lover, weren't you?" Lucius steepled his fingers and looked over his hands. Draco nodded. "A woman will always be half in love with her first lover." He smirked at his son. "You're the father of her baby. Women are programmed from birth to seek a strong family alliance. They look for a man who will protect and provide for their children. It's for the survival of the species. Men, on the other hand, are predisposed to impregnate multiple females, also for the survival of the species. You show her that you will be a good father to her baby and you'll have her eating out of your hand." Draco nodded his understanding and his father continued. "Her father is in St Mungo's, and she has no one else. You will step up to be her protector and provider. Let her learn that she can depend on you, while making her question where her friends are when she needs them."

"How long do I have to keep this up?" Draco questioned.

Lucius sighed and tossed back his drink. "Unfortunately, there is no statute of limitations on some of the crimes you could be accused of. At least she is a pureblood, and already proven fertile, so she can provide a proper heir. Once she has a baby or two to occupy her time, she will turn her attentions to them and leave you free to live your own life. Just be discreet and keep her happy. She's no worse than that cow of a daughter the Flints hoped to marry into our family."

Draco took a sip of his drink, then placed the glass on the desk and curled his arms around himself. "There's so much that can go wrong."

"It's already gone wrong, Draco." Lucius flared impatiently. "The Dark Lord was defeated, the Malfoy and Black heir is in danger of going to prison, and you've spawned an illegitimate child with a blood traitor whose father is a madman. There's nothing left for it except to man up and make the best of the situation. You're seventeen years old, Draco. It's time for you to start acting like it, rather than some little third year shoving people in the courtyard."

"I thought it would be better with the Dark Lord defeated." Draco answered softly, looking somewhat like a frightened third year. "I wouldn't have to be in constant fear of being killed if I did something wrong. Now you're telling me that I have to be afraid of my wife sending me to prison if I screw up." He looked up at his father desperately. "Can't we just leave? Can't we go somewhere the Ministry can't find us? We've got money, we've got influence in other countries, we have homes abroad that even we have forgotten about. Can't we just walk away?"

"You _could_ have walked away!" Lucius snapped. "You could have walked away from the girl with your cock still in your pants. You could have even used a contraceptive charm. But you _didn't._ You gave away control of your life to her the moment you fathered her child, just as much as you gave control of your life to the Dark Lord the night you took the mark." He pinched the bridge of his nose and took several deep breaths to compose himself before he continued. "You can do this, Draco. She's a very simple girl. If you had to be in this situation, thank Merlin at least she's not a Slytherin who will see right through you. Malfoys are born masters of manipulation. Blacks are born actors. You're both. It's not as complex as you're making it in your mind. You just have to spend the next few weeks convincing her that she loves you, and then it's done." Lucius leaned forward, nad gave what was supposed to be an encouraging smile to his son. "Now, the sooner you start, the better."

Draco nodded, draining the rest of his drink, and slowly rose, making his way to the door. Once it closed behind him, he pushed up his left sleeve, looking at the Dark Mark, which was slightly faded since Voldemort's defeat.

Draco hadn't asked for that mark. It had been forced on him, just like he didn't ask to be the father of Luna's baby. That had been thrust upon him as well.

Draco survived the Dark Lord. Surely he could survive Loony Lovegood.

* * *

"Come in," Luna called softly.

Draco opened the door, to find her sitting on the window seat, her trunk untouched in the middle of the room.

"Is your room to your liking?" He asked, crossing to where she sat.

"It's very lovely, Draco." she looked around. "But would you mind terribly if I painted it? It's rather dark."

"You can redecorate any way you wish." he smiled indulgently. "Just tell me what you want, and I'll make sure it is taken care of."

"That's kind of you, Draco, but I can do it myself."She looked around the room, as if making plans in her head.

"I'm sure you can, but you shouldn't be exposed to any chemicals or do any strenuous magic right now. It wouldn't be good for the baby." He reached over and drew circles on her knuckles with the tip of one finger.

"You're right, of course." She agreed. "Sometimes I still forget. I've only known a few days."

"You didn't know before you went to the hospital?" He frowned.

"No." She shook her head. "I haven't had any morning sickness or anything like that. I've just been really tired at times, but I thought that was due to everything that had been going on."

"Well, I suppose that's good, that you haven't had some of the unpleasant symptoms." He answered her, wishing this didn't feel so awkward.

"How long will this be my room?" she asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" He watched as she walked over to look at a spot on the wall.

"Am I going to stay in this room?" She looked at him over her shoulder before crossing over to the bed and kneeling to peer under it. "Or when we're married, will I move to your room?"

"My room is right through that door." He pointed to a doorway beside the bed. "We can just see how things go. If we're getting on well and you want to move into my room, that's fine, and then we can use this one as the nursery until the baby gets older. Or if you want to keep separate rooms, you can stay here, and we can just add another doorway to make the next room the nursery." He walked over to sit beside her on the floor. "I don't want you to feel pressured into doing anything you don't want to." He bent to look under the bed beside her, lighting his wand with a Lumos. "Luna, what are you looking for?"

"To see what lives under there." She answered, as if it should have been obvious.

"I hope nothing is living under there." He shuddered.

"I didnt mean anything dangerous." she shrugged. "Like nifflers or nargles or maybe mice."

"Do you have any idea what my mother would do if there were a mouse in her house?" Draco arched an eyebrow.

"They're very peaceful creatures, actually." Luna informed him. "Well, the nargles and nifflers can get a bit annoying, with taking things that don't belong to them, but they don't understand that it's wrong."

He sat on the bed and offered a hand to help her up beside him. "Down past the garden there are some creatures, rabbits and foxes and the like. There's a charm around the garden to prevent anything other than birds from entering. When I was small, sometimes squirrels or some other little creatures would disturb the peacocks and make them scream, which in turn frightened me and made me scream, so my father warded the garden."

"That's very good, that you admit to being afraid now." she squeezed his hand. "You used to be adamantly against showing any sort of weakness, including fear."

"You think being afraid is good?" He looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Well, not being afraid, really, but being strong enough to show weakness." She nodded, as if he should know exactly what she was talking about.

"That didn't make sense." He frowned.

"Of course it did." She stood and walked over to the wardrobe, tugging the door open and putting her head inside.

"Are you looking for more creatures?" He asked with a huff.

"No." She pulled her head out to smile at him. "Narnia."

"What's a Narnia?" he inquired.

"It's the magical land in the book _The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe_. Did you ever read it?" She tilted her head. "Of course you didn't. If you had, you would know what Narnia was."

"You're not going to find a magical land in an antique wardrobe." He almost snorted.

"Obviously you haven't read the book." She flashed him a brief smile before opening her trunk. She rummaged around for a moment and then held up a book. "Here it is."

"They find a magical land in a wardrobe?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Of course not." She handed him the book. "That's where the entrance is located. A whole magical land wouldn't fit."

He turned the worn hardback over in his hands.

"There's actually a whole set about Narnia. The White Queen reminds me a bit of Voldemort." She was on her knees beside her trunk again, and retrieved another book. "I like being outside. May I read in the garden, Draco?"

"If you'd like." He shrugged. "This will be your home. You're free to go anywhere except my parents' personal quarters or my father's study. You might better keep a house elf with you until you get used to the place. If you were to get lost, you could wander for days."

"Why don't _you_ just come with me, Draco?" she invited, holding out a hand.

He couldn't think of a good reason not to, at the moment. "I suppose I will." He rose, picking up the book Luna had given him.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N - I know, it's been a while. But I'm giving you a monstrously huge chapter in hopes of being forgiven.

* * *

A house elf came to tell Draco and Luna that dinner would be ready soon. Draco offered her a hand to help her up, and then escorted her back up to their suite.

Draco saw her into her room, and then went into his own.

His father was waiting for him.

Lucius handed Draco an envelope. "This came for Luna while the two of you were outside earlier. I had to write a note back saying that Miss Lovegood was resting and would be given the message later to get the bloody owl to leave."

Draco opened the letter and quickly scanned it.

Potter had written expressing his disbelief that Luna would have willingly returned to Malfoy Manor. He offered to come and remove her from the house, and said she was welcome to stay with the Weasleys, or in the home Potter had illegally inherited from the Black family.

Lucius handed Draco wax and a plain seal so that he could return the envelope to its original condition.

"I'll handle it." Draco nodded."

Lucius left him to finish getting ready for dinner.

There was a soft knock on the door adjoining Luna's room. He opened it to find her ready.

"An owl came for you while we were outside." He informed her, handing over the envelope.

She frowned curiously, then opened it and read the contents.

"It's from Harry." She explained, looking up at Draco. "He's concerned about me being back here. I'll have to write and let him know of the circumstances."

"Yes, but not right this moment." Draco offered her his arm. "It would be rude to keep my parents waiting. You can write to him after dinner."

She smiled and took his arm, allowing him to lead her to the dining room.

"How do you like the book?" she asked.

"It's rather engrossing." He nodded. "More than I thought it would be."

He pointed out a few interesting features of the house on the way down. The elder Malfoys were already seated when Draco and Luna arrived.

"It's just the four of us this evening." Narcissa smiled at her son and his fiancée. "Your Uncle Rod is a bit under the weather, and we don't have any guests this evening."

"A bit under the bottle." Draco muttered so that only Luna heard.

They made small talk about the weather while the house elves brought the salads. Then Narcissa turned to Luna.

"Dear, I hope you don't mind, but I've arranged for our family healer to come check on you in the morning. I know you've just been seen at St Mungo's, but I thought you should become established with Healer Burke as soon as possible. That way if you have any questions or need to be seen urgently, he will already be familiar with your health." The older woman informed her solicitously.

"Thank you," Luna smiled. "That's very kind. I'm glad you have taken an interest in your grandchild's well-being. "

Draco started to speak but was cut off by a sharp look from his mother.

"The Malfoys have been one of the most prominent families in the wizarding world since we arrived in this country in 1068 with William the Conqueror. You are carrying the newest member of our family, the one who will perpetuate our name into the new millennium. Certainly his health, and yours of course Luna, is a priority to us." Lucius regarded her seriously. "Do you realize what you are marrying into?"

"Here we go." Draco sighed under his breath.

Lucius began to give Luna a brief history of the Malfoy family over the last nine hundred or so years. They finished eating while Lucius was still lecturing about Septimus Malfoy in the 18th century.

Narcissa turned to her husband. "Love, why don't you take Luna to the Hall of Portraits and show her some of these people you've been prattling on about. Draco and I shall join you in a bit."

"A brilliant idea." Lucius smiled and offered Luna his arm.

He led her away; still talking about some of the laws Septimus Malfoy convinced the Minister of Magic to enact while second in command.

"Why does Luna need to be seen by Healer Burke tomorrow, when she just got out of St Mungo's today?" Draco confronted his mother.

"First of all, we need to verify the date of conception. She would hardly be the first young lady to try to lay someone else's bastard at the feet of the wealthiest young man she knew." Narcissa sniffed.

Draco shook his head. "That sort of thought would never even occur to her."

"You don't know that." His mother continued. "We also want to make sure of the health of the unborn child. If she is in danger of miscarrying, we would re-evaluate our plan. Regardless, we will plan the wedding for her fourth month, when the risk of miscarriage is lower. And speaking of the wedding, you should really go pick out a ring and present it to her as soon as possible. Columbia Misslethorpe at Witch Weekly owes me a few favors. I will get her to write an article about you and your beloved as soon as possible, but of course Luna will need her engagement ring visible in the photos."

"I have no idea what to choose." He shook his head.

"Come to the strongroom with me." Narcissa reached for her son's hand. "We'll go find something suitable, and you can present it to her tonight."

They went to the in house vault, where one cupboard was filled with jewelry in boxes, most of which had a note explaining the significance of the piece. They looked through rings for over half an hour until Narcissa found one she declared perfect.

"This one was given to your ancestress Phillipa FitzRoy, the illegitimate daughter of the muggle King Henry VII, by Aurelius Malfoy. She was a half blood, but the family sought a closer bond with the crown at the time. She was resistant to his courtship, but eventually they were married for over eighty years and had five children." She read off with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"La dee dah." Draco rolled his eyes.

"The ring, Draco." She held it out to him. "It has moonstone, rhodonite, and blue quartz. Together they calm fears, inspire hope, repel negativity, promote peace, and amplify feelings of love. It is the perfect combination for wooing an unwilling bride."

"She's not exactly unwilling," He frowned slightly but took the ring from his mother's hand.

"Then we shall hope it magnifies whatever feeling she has toward keeping you out of Azkaban." His mother smirked.

He slipped the ring into his pocket, and turned toward the door.

"Draco, one other thing." She said.

He turned to look at her.

"Right now, Luna may not feel very well, and may be rather tired. She would probably appreciate your showing gentlemanly affection, such as holding her hand, rubbing her back, or cuddling. Any sort of skin against skin contact promotes bonding between lovers. In a few weeks, as her body adjusts to the pregnancy, she is going to have increased hormones and increased blood flow to specific parts of her body. To be bold, she will receive more physical enjoyment from intimate relations." Draco flushed and looked away, but his mother turned his chin back to her to make certain he was paying attention. "Use biology to your advantage. Satisfy her sexually as often as possible. Her body will produce a chemical called oxytocin, which will cause her trust you and make her more likely to care about you. In addition, if she feels you are placing a greater emphasis on her pleasure than your own, her thought process will naturally lead her to the conclusion that you are a worthy partner with genuine feelings for her."

He nodded, not wanting to particularly pursue the subject further with his mother. He opened the door for her, and followed her to the Hall of Portraits. His father was still talking, gesturing animatedly toward some long dead Malfoy.

"Father, Luna is tired. She's had a long day, and she's in a delicate condition. You'll have plenty of time to bore her to tears later." Draco shook his head at his father, placing an arm around the young woman's waist.

"I am rather tired." Luna agreed with a smile at Draco.

"Well then, we shall finish this at another time." Lucius raised Luna's hand to his lips for a kiss. "You have been a most pleasant companion this evening, my future daughter in law."

Luna smiled and thanked him, allowing Draco to escort her up to their suite. They paused at her door, and Luna turned to him, expecting to be bid good night.

"I know you're tired, but could I come in for a few minutes?" he asked.

"Of course." She nodded, opening the door and leading him inside.

He took her hand, leading her over to the loveseat in front of the fire. He sat down, and tugged her hand gently until she sat beside him.

"Is there anything you need?" He offered. "Would you like me to have an elf bring up some warm milk, or some hot cocoa, perhaps?"

"Cocoa would be nice." She nodded.

He called for an elf, and asked for cocoa to be brought for both of them.

"I just ... " Draco trailed off, shaking his head. "I know it must be difficult for you, being back in this house, after the things that happened to you here. I don't know what I could ever do to make things up to you, but if there is anything that would make you more comfortable, please let me know." He gave her The Look, lowering his head and gazing up at her through his eyelashes. "I am thankful that you would even give me a chance, after what my aunt did to you."

"It was your aunt who tortured me," Luna answered. "Not you. You looked like you didn't even want to be there. I could hardly blame you for any of it."

"I didn't want to be there." He told her. "I was trapped. I didn't want to be a part of the Death Eaters, but I was afraid that if I tried to leave, they wouldn't kill me, they would kill my family." He held her hand, running his thumb across her knuckles. "Then they brought you here, and it made me question everything I'd been taught to believe even more. You hadn't done anything to deserve what they did to you. And you weren't even a mud ... muggleborn."

"You really don't have to apologize to me, Draco." she assured him. "I've already moved on from all of it. Holding onto resentment is like holding your breath, you see. At some point it starts to suffocate you."

"I'm glad you feel that way." He nodded, finally looking into her eyes.

"You've got to let go of the past as well, and forgive yourself." She continued gently. "As long as you hold onto the pain and anger and bitterness you feel toward Voldemort and the Death Eaters, you bind yourself to them. Letting go of the past is the only way you'll ever be free to move forward."

"Yeah." He shrugged, looking away again.

"Your emotions are too raw to understand right now." She squeezed his hand. "But one day, you will."

The elf popped back in with a silver tea pot filled with hot cocoa and mugs.

"You made it with milk, not water, right?" Draco asked.

"Yes, always, Master." the elf bobbed his head.

"Thank you. You may go." Draco dismissed the creature, who disappeared with another pop.

Draco poured a mug of cocoa and handed it to Luna. "Drink up. You need the calcium to make bones."

She smiled as she took the mug. "I really did not expect you to be pleased about the situation."

He took a sip of his own cocoa. "If you had asked me ahead of time, I probably wouldn't have been. It's the strangest thing. It just felt right. And the more I think about it, the more I like the idea." He put down his mug and fished in his pocket. "Which brings me to this." He slipped the ring onto her finger, frowning at the fact it was a perfect fit without being magically adjusted. "You're a Malfoy fiancee now. You need an engagement ring. I thought you would like this one. It's rather unique. Like you. But if you really don't like it, we can look tomorrow for something else."

Luna drew her hand from his and studied the ring. "I really do like this one. It is different, and appears to be very old."

"It was given by my ancestor to his fiancee in 1594. The marriage caused a bit of a stir at the time. She was the illegitimate halfblood daughter of the muggle king. The idea of a Malfoy marrying such a woman was rather unprecedented. But it seemed to have worked out quite well for them. They were married for over eighty years and had four or five children." He informed her before taking another sip of his cocoa.

"You continue to surprise me, Draco." She tilted her head at him. "At school you always wanted to outshine others and draw attention to yourself. I would have expected you to choose a ring that was spectacularly ostentatious to draw attention to your wealth and prestige. The fact you would choose a modest, very non-traditional ring with a colorful history, and made with two powerful protection stones shows how there is more to you than everyone believed."

"Of course I would choose protection stones." He lied smoothly, raising her hand to his lips. "I don't know what's going to happen when I go to trial. I want to make sure that if I am sent away, I leave you and our son with every possible protection."

She stifled a yawn.

"Go to sleep." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "You need your rest. We will talk more tomorrow."

He crossed the room, pausing at the doorway leading to his room to look back at her one last time. She stood beside the loveseat, a dreamy look in her eyes.

Yes, it was all coming together nicely.

* * *

_Fire._

_Fire was everywhere. Flames with heads like animals chased them through stacks of junk, blackening everything in its path._

_"Aguamenti!" Potter shouted, but the jet of water that soared from the tip of his wand evaporated immediately._

_"RUN!"_

_He didn't even know who said the words. It didn't matter. It was what they all had to do, and they knew it._

_Goyle was still unconscious, so Draco grabbed him and dragged him along. Crabbe had outrun them all, the fucking coward. He had started this, why was he not stopping it? Did he not realize how much danger they were all in?_

_He didn't know where Potter and his friends had gone. Where they doing something to put out the fire?_

_Draco tried several spells, but none of them even slightly affected the flames which came closer by the moment._

_"Crabbe!" he shouted, but only the roar of the inferno answered him._

_He paused long enough to try to renervate Goyle._

_It didn't work, but whether because the spell had been strong or because Draco was in a panic and rushed, he didn't know._

_Crabbe rounded a bend in the path, coming straight at them._

_Draco's relief was short-lived when he saw the flames chasing his friend. They seemed alive and malicious, rather than just inanimate peaks of fire. The flames literally licked at them, flaming tongues protruding from fiery mouths._

_"Help me with him." Draco pleaded with Crabbe, the sweat dripping into his eyes._

_Crabbe took Goyle's other arm, helping Draco drag the fallen boy forward._

_Before they reached the next turn, the flames rounded the bend to encroach from in front of them. Draco looked over his shoulder for a way out, but the fire was rapidly approaching from behind as well._

_"What ... " Crabbe began, looking to Draco, as he had done since they were boys._

_"Climb!" Draco shouted over the roar._

_He hefted Goyle over his shoulder and began to ascend the stack to his right. They had several close calls, as objects Draco grasped came loose in his hand, and once the broken table he was using as a foothold gave way.  
_

_He climbed as fast as he could, feeling the air around them growing hotter as the flames rose as well.  
_

_"Draco!" came a shriek from below him.  
_

_Draco looked over his shoulder to see Crabbe falling backwards into the fire.  
_

_"CRABBE!" he screamed. "VINCE!"  
_

_He could only watch helplessly as his his lifelong friend disappeared into blaze below.  
_

_Draco leaned his head against some broken piece of furniture, knowing he was about to die.  
_

"Draco," a soft voice pulled him out of the nightmare._  
_

Luna sat beside him on the bed. "You were apparently having a bad dream."

He nodded, his chest still heaving, sweat plastering his hair to his head.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. We've all been through so much. At least it's over now." She continued, her voice somehow soothing. "Shall I stay with you, to help keep the nightmares away?"

"No," he shook his head, his voice hoarse. "I'll be fine."

"Then can I stay because I have nightmares too and need someone to help keep mine away?" She tilted her head at him.

He studied her for a moment. His father's voice rang in his head.

"We need her to want to keep you out of Azkaban. She has to fall in love with you."

Draco lifted the covers. Luna scooted under, laying down beside him but not touching him.

"Good night, Draco." she whispered.

* * *

Draco drifted into consciousness with the vague awareness of being warm.

And strangely, feeling safe.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt truly safe.

His sleep muddled mind tried to make sense of things, and came to realize something else.

There was someone else in his bed.

Specifically, that someone else was curled up against his chest, her head on his shoulder and her breath rhythmically fluttering against his neck.

He blinked away the sleep to see curly blonde hair in the fading darkness. He froze for a moment, until his mind processed the fact that he had not dreamed about Luna waking him from his nightmares, and that she was really sleeping in his arms at the moment.

Twenty four hours ago, he could not have imagined this situation in his wildest ravings.

At the moment, it almost felt ... nice.

He pushed the thought away.

He extricated himself from her slowly, as not to wake her. He tiptoed into the bathroom, and when he returned, she was awake.

"Good morning, Draco." She smiled, pushing herself into a sitting position.

He just frowned at her.

"I'm glad to know at least one of my presumptions about you was true." She said. "You're not a morning person."

"I'm fine with mornings." He grumbled. "It's the getting out of bed I could do without."

She gracefully rose from the bed, crossing the room and planting a kiss on his cheek as she passed him. "I'll just get ready to go downstairs. Shall I wait for you to walk me to breakfast, or just meet you there?"

"I'll walk you down." He muttered, pressing a hand to his cheek and wondering what in the hell was going on.

* * *

The healer arrived just as they finished with breakfast.

Narcissa asked to have the man sent to Luna's room, then led Draco and Luna there.

Healer Burke told Luna that he was delighted to meet her, and commented to Narcissa that Luna looked as if she belonged to their family.

"Now my dear, this will be easiest if you lie on the bed, and pull your shirt up." the healer instructed.

Narcissa sat at the head of the bed, next to Luna, while Draco stood around with his hands in his pockets and tried to act like he wasn't uncomfortable.

The healer sat on the edge of the bed, pointed his wand at Luna's belly, and performed several diagnostic spells before gently palpitating her abdomen with his hands.

"About two and a half months, right?" Healer Burke asked. Luna nodded. "Very good. Everything seems on track. Now here's the part all the mums like."

He pointed his wand at her belly again and murmured some spell that had the word 'sonorous' in it.

The room was filled with a low rhythm overlaid with random swishing noises.

"What is that sound?" Draco asked.

"The steady, repetitive sound is the baby's heartbeat." Burke told them.

"Then what's the other sound, the one that sounds like something moving in water?" Draco frowned.

"That's pretty much what it is. You're hearing the infant's movements." The old man smiled at Luna. "Very active little one."

"It can move?" Draco's eyebrows shot to the top of his head.

"Of course." The healer turned to look at Draco. "It can move its arms and legs and turn over. In another week or two, it will be able to suck its thumb. It doesn't quite look human yet, but it's a fully formed, separate being."

Draco looked up at Luna, who was smiling serenely, her hand on her stomach.

His knees suddenly felt weak and he sank into a chair.

A real living baby was growing inside Luna's belly. A baby the two of them had made in the cellar.

Burke pulled up Luna's shirt just a bit higher to expose her prominent ribs.

"You're very thin, young lady." the healer admonished. "You need to eat. You'll have the rest of your life to lose weight and be slim. You only have nine months to make a healthy baby. If you're worried about gaining weight, we can give you something to help with it after the baby is born."

Luna nodded again.

"Now, I need to do a little more intensive exam. Draco, why don't you and I step out into the hall while Luna undresses. Narcissa, you can help her. Cover her with a sheet that's not tucked under the mattress, if you will." The healer stood and beckoned Draco to follow him out.

As soon as the door closed behind them, the healer pointed his wand to silence it and turned on Draco.

"What happened to the lot of you?" Burke demanded.

"What are you on about?" Draco frowned.

_"You,_ you are still underweight. You are better than when your mother called me to see you a year ago, but you've still not recovered to where you should be. Your father looks dreadful, and your mother, despite very artfully applied glamours, doesn't look much better. That young lady in there," he pointed at the door. "Looks like a concentration camp survivor, and I do know first hand what they look like. Some of the Prewetts had the brilliant idea of trying to evacuate Jews from Nazi Germany. I'm quite frankly shocked she was even able to conceive. Have you looked at her fingernails?"

"She was ... displaced in the war." came a voice from over Draco's shoulder, a voice that Draco realized for the first time had lost its smoothness and now had a distinct raspy undertone. "I daresay the war has been difficult on us all."

"Quite true, Lucius." Burke nodded. "I'm going to prescribe healing potions for all of you. I want you all to make sure you are eating properly and get sufficient rest. Especially our expectant parents."

"Very well," Lucius agreed. "Now if you can spare Draco for a bit, he has guests awaiting him downstairs."

"By all means." Burke waved them on. "I won't need him for this part of the exam, and it's rather technical. No more heartbeats to hear or anything interesting like that. I do want to see him before I leave, just for a good check over, you know."

"Of course," Draco murmured. "Thank you."

He then turned and followed his father down the stairs as Burke tapped gently on the door to see if Luna was ready.

"Potter and the mudblood are here," Lucius grumbled. _"demanding_ to see Luna. I would remind you that you want her to see you as a protector, whilst you separate her from her friends."

He patted his son on the shoulder and turned away as they reached the door of the green parlour.

"Malfoy!" a sharp voice grated on Draco's nerves before he even opened the door fully. "What have you done to Luna Lovegood?"

"St Mungo's said she was discharged into your family's care yesterday." Granger folded her arms and squared off as if she was his equal. "She didn't answer Harry's owl, and when we arrived, your father told us she was being seen by a healer."

"Of course," Draco shrugged nonchalantly. "Shouldn't I want to do everything possible to ensure the health of my fiancee and our unborn child?"

The room was enveloped by a silence so overwhelming that Draco wasn't certain if the other two people were even breathing. The colour drained from Potter's face.

"What?" the Chosen One croaked.

"Luna and I are expecting a child and we are going to be married." Draco pronounced slowly and distinctly.

"What did you do to her?" Granger spat. "You ... you forced her to ... do things ... while she was a prisoner here ... "

"No," Draco studied his fingernails. "I didn't. I realize the two of you are completely clueless about such matters, but most young ladies appreciate my finer qualities."

He looked over Granger, not that he would ever touch such a thing, but the action had the desired effect.

She recoiled in horror. "Your finer qualities, like torture and murder and ... "

He shook his head before interrupting her. "I've never killed anyone. And may I remind you, that the two of you are alive at this moment because I didn't tell everyone that those bumbling idiots had actually managed to capture the great Harry Potter."

"What is your game, Malfoy?" Potter demanded. "Is the healer upstairs modifying her memories? Are you blackmailing Luna somehow to get you out of the trouble you're in?"

That question struck close to home, but by this point, Draco was an expert in not showing reaction.

"She and I spent time together while she was here. Alone." He smirked. "As a result, as I have already mentioned, she is now carrying my heir. She and I plan to be married as soon as possible." Draco drawled boredly, dropping himself into an armchair. "The two of you may stand all day if you wish, or you can act like civilised people and take the seats that were offered to you." He gestured at the other furniture.

Potter seated himself on the very edge of the loveseat, as if sitting back would endanger him. "You took advantage of her." He accused. "You were probably the only one here she could trust, and you took advantage of her to get what you wanted. But why are you claiming her baby? Why don't you just cast her aside, or pay her to go away?"

"Obviously you were psychologically damaged by growing up without parents, Potter, but can you not even imagine that two people could care about one another, and become physically intimate?" Draco taunted, one eyebrow raised.

Potter sprang to his feet, and Granger reached for him just as the door opened.

"There you are, love." Draco smiled, walking over to the door to take Luna's hand. "Your friends have come to see to your well-being. They seem to believe that I've assaulted you and that you are being held here against your will."

Luna allowed Draco to lead her over to the chair he had recently occupied, placing her in the seat while he sat on the arm.

"I'm sorry that I haven't answered your owl yet, Harry." She apologized. "I meant to write last night, but I was dreadfully tired and fell asleep early. I haven't had a chance yet this morning, as the healer came just as we were finishing breakfast."

"It's all right, Luna." Potter answered, watching Draco's face. "We wanted to make sure you were safe, and that you weren't being forced to stay here. You can always come to the Burrow, or to Grimmauld Place, you know."

"Thank you for your concern Harry." Luna smiled, curling her fingers around Draco's hand that he had slipped into hers. "But Draco and his family have been very gracious ... " She trailed off, glancing up at her fiance.

"I've told them." Draco nodded, still half smiling at her. "They know we're going to be parents."

"Luna, you don't have to marry him." Granger interjected. "You can come home with us. We'll make sure you and your baby are cared for. The Wizengamot will make sure Malfoy provides funds for the support of his child. You won't have anything to worry about. Neville cares about you. I'm sure he will understand about your pregnancy."

"I don't know why everyone thought Neville and I should be together. We would have been a horrible match. We would probably misplace our baby two or three times a day." Luna gave the other young woman a pitying look. "Sometimes the person fate intends for you isn't the person you would have chosen. I can see this. Draco and I balance one another out. He's not an evil person. He just has been told what to think and feel and do for so long, he doesn't know who he is."

"Which is precisely why you shouldn't marry him right now." Potter explained. "What if he finds out who he is, and it's someone you don't like?"

Luna looked up at her fiance again before turning back to Potter. "No. You may not realize it, and he may not even realize it, but he has a good heart. He didn't kill Dumbledore, and he didn't let the Death Eaters kill you. He was kind to me when I was in the cellar. The rest, whatever it is, we can work with."

"If he was so kind to you when you were in the cellar, why didn't he let you escape?" Granger folded her bloody arms again.

"She never would have gotten off the grounds." Draco rolled his eyes. "You have no idea the wards that were on this property when Voldemort was here. They would have killed her if she had even tried."

"More like they would have killed you for letting her out." Granger challenged. "If you were so kind to her, why was she starved and bruised when we rescued her?"

"I took extra food when I could get away with it." Draco glared at her. "I cast a warming charm when no one was around. I couldn't stop them from being tortured or feed them properly, because if I had been caught, at best, I would have been locked in the cellar with them. Then who would have helped the prisoners?"

Granger looked away, unable to argue with the logic in that statement.

"Why did you do it?" Potter regarded him suspiciously. "You never do anything unless you benefit from it somehow. What were you getting from helping the prisoners? Were you hoping they would speak favourably for you if the war didn't turn out your way?"

"You were _there,_ Potter." Draco said in a voice low and full of emotion. "That night in the Astronomy Tower. Do you really think I asked for any of it?"

Granger took Potter's chain of thought and ran with it. "Is that why you romanced Luna in the cellar? You certainly didn't spare any kind words for her at Hogwarts. Did you think making her fall in love with you would keep you out of Azkaban?"

Draco glanced at Luna before answering. "Maybe I saw something of her while she was here that I had never seen before."

"I'll say you did." Potter muttered. "She's pregnant now."

Draco glared at him, shaking his head in disgust. "I meant, how strong she was, not to break down when my aunt was torturing her. How she always had a positive attitude, even locked in a dungeon, starving and freezing. How she looked past the masks we wear on the outside to see the person inside." He paused, looking back and forth between Potter and Granger. "Maybe the two of you aren't the friends you should have been, if you never saw those qualities in her." He squeezed Luna's hand.

"We have seen those qualities in her." Potter protested.

"And you don't believe someone else could appreciate them?" Draco asked.

"I still think you impregnated her on purpose, to tie yourself to a war hero." Granger asserted.

Draco opened his mouth to answer, but Luna beat him to it.

"Hermione, neither of us thought we were going to live long enough to worry about a contraceptive charm."

The four of them looked at each other for a moment that stretched out into an uncomfortable silence.

"The two of you have harassed my fiancee enough for one day." Draco stood. "She's in a delicate condition, and doesn't need to be upset. Pity that people who consider themselves her friends can't see that. It's time for you to leave."

Potter stood as well, and Granger moved to his side.

"Luna, you don't have to stay here." Potter repeated. "You have other options."

"I'm fine here with my child's family." Luna slid her arm through Draco's and leaned her head against his side.

Potter nodded, as he grasped Granger's elbow and herded her toward the door.

"Dimpy!" Draco called, and a house elf appeared. "Escort Mr. Potter and Miss Granger to the floo."

The elf nodded and beckoned for the pair to follow him.

Draco smirked at their retreating backs.

_Checkmate._

Harry sighed and looked at Hermione as they descended the stairs. "He's right, you know. He didn't want any part of this. He was caught up in something he couldn't control. But I still don't trust him as far as Luna is concerned."


End file.
